I've Just read the No 10 statement again. Definitely a separate house away from family

I guess that won't matter if its true he's been seen 30 miles away walking

Like I said, if he's broken the rules sack him. Strange thing is he'll probably get sacked for walking in the bluebells, not anything else.

Here is a new a Statement from Durham Police. It confirms they spoke to Mr Cummings senior and confirmed that his son was self isolating in another part of the house.

Firstly this contradicts the press release that number 10 put out this morning as they denied police were involved and secondly they confirmed he was isolating in the same house. Not only should Cummings go but this Government should now go as we now have proof they lie.

And the kid stayed with them through the illness so why couldn't all three of them stayed in London?

Now you really are asking silly questions.

On 31st March, do you seriously think that both Cummingses knew exactly how their illness was going to progress? Cummings took the boy to Durham because he was afraid of what might happen. Coronavirus is not an exact science. It isn't possible to look at someone in the relatively early stages of the disease and know exactly how it will progress and whether you will be well enough to look after a child or not.

Let’s all be honest about what this is - the biggest enemy of many people, and a chance for them to finish him off. The media and other parties are all over it.

My view is that this is a 16 hour a day workaholic who wouldn’t have taken 2 weeks off unless he was very ill indeed. His boss nearly died during this time too. That his wife stayed well (ish) and could look after the kid was luck. They must have been terrified to have felt the need to make that drive and ask family to help out. They must also have known the optics, even if their judgement was a bit impaired by being ill.

It just all seems a bit inhuman to take possibly the lowest point of someone’s life, health-wise, and use it as a reason to sack him when many of us in similar unfortunate circumstances would have done the same,

It's inhuman to flout regulations (that you, in part, instituted) on multiple occasions whilst people are dying alone in hospitals and care homes because others are observing them.

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Last edited by BurningBeard on Sat May 23, 2020 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Here is a new a Statement from Durham Police. It confirms they spoke to Mr Cummings senior and confirmed that his son was self isolating in another part of the house.

Firstly this contradicts the press release that number 10 put out this morning as they denied police were involved and secondly they confirmed he was isolating in the same house. Not only should Cummings go but this Government should now go as we now have proof they lie.

Cummings should go but you'll have to wait until the next election to kick the government out,if that's what your desire is.

On 31st March, do you seriously think that both Cummingses knew exactly how their illness was going to progress? Cummings took the boy to Durham because he was afraid of what might happen. Coronavirus is not an exact science. It isn't possible to look at someone in the relatively early stages of the disease and know exactly how it will progress and whether you will be well enough to look after a child or not.

Nope you said he thought something might happen and he was right that they did get ill. But still they could have been in London and got the exact same support as he got in Durham

They had all the support they needed in London so there was no justification for driving his family to Durham and risking spreading the virus.

He went to Durham cos it was his mothers birthday party and as he had to stop working for two weeks he preferred to be with family in leafy Durham then stuck in a house in the middle of London.

She was already ill. Yes, they both thought they were going to become ill. Yes, they were right.

How “ill” was his wife then ? She was well enough to make the 260 mile trip - hardly sounds like she was at the deaths door description she gave later about poor old Dom - I say deaths door but never got admitted to hospital and soon well enough to be making more trips up and down the country.

Some truly jaw-dropping defence of Cummings and the government going on. And that's without Ringo breaking his silence on the matter.

They could be one and the same ?
When he says he’s off to work late at night maybe he’s just off on a 260 mile jaunt up the M1 ?
We already know no10 spin doctors are often Burnley fans.
Cummings has been busy dealing with the fall out today and coincidence or not no posts on here ?

On 31st March, do you seriously think that both Cummingses knew exactly how their illness was going to progress? Cummings took the boy to Durham because he was afraid of what might happen. Coronavirus is not an exact science. It isn't possible to look at someone in the relatively early stages of the disease and know exactly how it will progress and whether you will be well enough to look after a child or not.

I have to agree . It is impossible to know how this illness will develop. There are probably a million or more people in this country alone who have faced such a situation and most of them have done what DC's boss has repeatedly told them to do which is to stay the **** home. He has broken the spirit and the letter of the government's instructions. I wish some of you a pleasant evening but some of you really need to take a good long look at yourselves in the mirror over this one.

If you have children, you will pretty much do everything & even anything to protect them from harm & possible danger without even thinking logically, was it a wise call to make no it wasn’t, a severe error of judgement not to even somehow square it off prior or doggedly explore other alternatives & record the sincere intent to do so in the event that he did pursue that course of action. It’s whether you choose to throw him to the wolves or at the very least some sort of reprimand a rap on the knuckles may suffice or a possible temporary/permanent demotion or a different role away from advising people.

If you have children, you will pretty much do everything & even anything to protect them from harm & possible danger without even thinking logically, was it a wise call to make no it wasn’t, a severe error of judgement not to even somehow square it off prior or doggedly explore other alternatives & record the sincere intent to do so in the event that he did pursue that course of action. It’s whether you choose to throw him to the wolves or at the very least some sort of reprimand a rap on the knuckles may suffice or a possible temporary/permanent demotion or a different role away from advising people.

They could have just stayed at their house in London. They also had family in London. Also she is the daughter of a millionaire aristocrat and has an endless network of friends and acquaintances to support. Plus Cummings is best mates with the prime minister so about as connected as you can be.

Are you telling me they could have not got all the support they wanted staying in London and had both been rushed to hospital do you think there was any risk their child would not have loads of support and places to go with family and friends in London.

Cummings had to isolate and it was his mothers birthday party so he chose to go to Durham for his own benefit not because their was a serious risk to life of his child.

Watch out for tomorrow when the second story is gonna break and lets see how you all this spin the next part.

Well, if you’re right DA, and there are further revelations with proof (vs allegations without), I will agree with you that he should be sacked.

If he simply went to be near his parents for childcare support, should the worst happen, no sacking matter. Nobody knows what alternative options were available in London.

Well, if you’re right DA, and there are further revelations with proof (vs allegations without), I will agree with you that he should be sacked.

If he simply went to be near his parents for childcare support, should the worst happen, no sacking matter. Nobody knows what alternative options were available in London.

With the virus then heavily concentrated in the capital, it’s probably more of a robust defence to argue you was actually trying to flee from there, if I had children I would have been looking for a bolthole anywhere away from London, that could actually be the truth but stating that I don’t think it would go down to well.

Well, if you’re right DA, and there are further revelations with proof (vs allegations without), I will agree with you that he should be sacked.

If he simply went to be near his parents for childcare support, should the worst happen, no sacking matter. Nobody knows what alternative options were available in London.

If you are saying that any new storys require absolute proof then by the same token Dominic Cumming and his apologists needs to provide absolute proof that there was no satisfactory support for him and his family in London that justified his trip to Durham

If genuine proof can not be provided then we can only conclude that Cummings broke the Govt he works for guidelines and should face the same consequences that Calderwood and Ferguson both faced

Let’s all be honest about what this is - the biggest enemy of many people, and a chance for them to finish him off. The media and other parties are all over it.

My view is that this is a 16 hour a day workaholic who wouldn’t have taken 2 weeks off unless he was very ill indeed. His boss nearly died during this time too. That his wife stayed well (ish) and could look after the kid was luck. They must have been terrified to have felt the need to make that drive and ask family to help out. They must also have known the optics, even if their judgement was a bit impaired by being ill.

It just all seems a bit inhuman to take possibly the lowest point of someone’s life, health-wise, and use it as a reason to sack him when many of us in similar unfortunate circumstances would have done the same,

As others have pointed out, Cummings and his wife are very wealthy, connected people. The suggestion that they had to drive 5 hours up to Durham and couldn't get any help in London is absurd.

Wealth is no help in getting childcare. Child care professionals are not key employees and therefore you can't appoint new ones. Child care professionals aren't allowed to work except in an emergency in a household with coronavirus.

It’s hilarious how one mans lockdown arrangements have caused such a fuss. You’re absolutely right - it’s not worth debating and doubt we would be if we were aloud out like Cummings

I think he should resign and apply for the chief Brexit negotiator role

New tactic - try to play it down. What’s all the fuss about?? Embarrassing.

People have missed funerals, loved ones dying, grandparents have been unable to see their grandkids and the chief adviser to the government is on jaunts to his family in Durham. It’s that much of a non-event that the chancellor, the foreign secretary and the health secretary saw fit to defend him within a matter of hours.

There are two independent sightings of him in Durham 10-12th May. These sightings were posted on Twitter at the time so this is not a case of people coming out the woodwork after the event when its big news

One of the Tweets was made to Laura Kuenssberg asking her if she was aware Cummings was in Durham and questioned why a week after the resignation of Ferguson would Cummings have broken lockdown rules to travel there

There are two independent sightings of him in Durham 10-12th May. These sightings were posted on Twitter at the time so this is not a case of people coming out the woodwork after the event when its big news.

Yes, I know, but if you're in Durham for two weeks from approx 29th March to 13th April it only counts as one trip. The weekend of the 19th was the second trip.

Wealth is no help in getting childcare. Child care professionals are not key employees and therefore you can't appoint new ones. Child care professionals aren't allowed to work except in an emergency in a household with coronavirus.

Weird how you’ve spent days banging on about how comparatively mild the virus is for the vast majority, but now you’re fully on board with two fit adults becoming so incapacitated that they’re unable to look after their child. Never mind the stories now emerging about subsequent visits. Just astonishing you’re willing to defend this.

3 times or 2 times - what does it matter ?
They should not have gone once.
Why you are constantly trying to defend him I ain’t got a clue.
As someone said above it’s pitiful.

Because I don't like witch hunts. I didn't join in the Corbyn-hates-Jews campaign (except for the bit about not remembering why he was in a certain graveyard, which was absurd) for the same reason. I'm not a fan of Cummings, tohugh he is good at election campaigns, but once the campaign is over then government advisers should be more like Bernard Ingham than Campbell or Cummings. But Cummings is very unpopular and that's why his apparent attempts to look after his son are being treated as on a par with Ferguson visiting a mistress or Calderwood visiting her second home.

Sometimes it is hard to see these things as absolutes. I know of two people who clearly and blatantly broke the rules. One is a man who visits his 96 year old father three times a week because his father has advanced dementia and the son believes he would either die or lose what is left of his mind without this regular routine. Another is a man who left his own home and moved in with his mother to share isolation with her, in spite of the rule that says you shouldn't move house.

I know that in theory these two people could get the Cummings treatment as putting lives at risk by not following the rules. But should they?

Just to clarify though Ferguson and his wife are separated and Ferguson's girlfriend is in an open marriage.

Whilst technically you could call her a mistress because Ferguson is still married the reality is that Ferguson is not having a relationship with her behind his wifes back. They are a proper out in the open couple and not conducting a married man / mistress type of relationship

Because I don't like witch hunts. I didn't join in the Corbyn-hates-Jews campaign (except for the bit about not remembering why he was in a certain graveyard, which was absurd) for the same reason. I'm not a fan of Cummings, tohugh he is good at election campaigns, but once the campaign is over then government advisers should be more like Bernard Ingham than Campbell or Cummings. But Cummings is very unpopular and that's why his apparent attempts to look after his son are being treated as on a par with Ferguson visiting a mistress or Calderwood visiting her second home.

Sometimes it is hard to see these things as absolutes. I know of two people who clearly and blatantly broke the rules. One is a man who visits his 96 year old father three times a week because his father has advanced dementia and the son believes he would either die or lose what is left of his mind without this regular routine. Another is a man who left his own home and moved in with his mother to share isolation with her, in spite of the rule that says you shouldn't move house.

I know that in theory these two people could get the Cummings treatment as putting lives at risk by not following the rules. But should they?

Obviously the fundamental difference between your two examples and Cummings is that he was deeply involved in putting the rules that he subsequently "bent" in place. Understandably people will view a breach of the rules by someone who devised them as different to a breach by a man in the street. If he wants a position that has that power then the responsibility comes with it. If Neil Ferguson had had a job unrelated to the government or coronavirus then he wouldn't have been sacked/resigned.

Because I don't like witch hunts. I didn't join in the Corbyn-hates-Jews campaign (except for the bit about not remembering why he was in a certain graveyard, which was absurd) for the same reason. I'm not a fan of Cummings, tohugh he is good at election campaigns, but once the campaign is over then government advisers should be more like Bernard Ingham than Campbell or Cummings. But Cummings is very unpopular and that's why his apparent attempts to look after his son are being treated as on a par with Ferguson visiting a mistress or Calderwood visiting her second home.

Sometimes it is hard to see these things as absolutes. I know of two people who clearly and blatantly broke the rules. One is a man who visits his 96 year old father three times a week because his father has advanced dementia and the son believes he would either die or lose what is left of his mind without this regular routine. Another is a man who left his own home and moved in with his mother to share isolation with her, in spite of the rule that says you shouldn't move house.

I know that in theory these two people could get the Cummings treatment as putting lives at risk by not following the rules. But should they?

Again look at the law. I would suggest your examples would be a reasonable excuse to leave the place they lived at; to provide care or assistance, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(1), to a vulnerable person, or to provide emergency assistance;

I am sorry but I cannot see Cummings' travel being covered by any of the listed reasonable excuses. The law and regulations apply to all citizens and as a government employee he should also be abiding by the SPAD code of conduct as well.

When people have been unable to their own children or parents on their deathbed, and in some cases kept from the funeral itself due to isolation, Cummings’ actions show contempt for all the people who followed the rules. I don’t believe at all that he couldn’t organise assistance in London. It’s laughable.

But then for a series of cabinet members to defend him as they’ve done is even more disgraceful. They’re saying that despite his transgressions, Cummings is too important for the rules to also apply to him. The cabinet is crapping on the sacrifices made by ordinary people all over the country. Didn’t get to see your gran before she died? Shame, but we can’t have you pointing fingers at a government advisor who breaks the rules.